Glass bottle forming process

modeled in STAR-CCM+

Presented by:

Ferrari Simone

Structural and Fluid Dynamic Simulation Department

R&D Bottero Group

Star Global Conference 2014 Vienna, 17–19 March 2014

Agenda

Cuneo – (Headquarter)

Trana

Vicenza

Treviso

Pesaro

Italy

France

St. Jeannet

Germany

Grevenbroich

Donauwörth

United Kingdom

Rochdale

Company profile

Shanghai

Foshan

Bengbu

China

USA

Kernesville

Brasile

Diadema

Company profile

Business and products

Flat Glass Hollow Glass

Bottero business and products

Special trailers

COMETTO industries

Focus on Hollow Glass Division

Hollow Glass

Offers a complete range for glass forming from fore-hearths to lehr

Glass Conditioning

Gob Forming

Container Forming

Ware Handling

Container Forming

Glass Conditioning

Gob Forming

Focus on Hollow Glass Division

Press & Blow process

The gob is guided into a blank mold 1

A plunger rises from the neck side and

presses the gob forming the “Parison” 2

The mold opens and the partially formed

container is released and inverted through

180 degrees

3

The container is transferred to the blow

mold 4

Air is injected to blow the container into

shape 5

Finished container 6

Container Forming Cycle

Bottero E-MOC

Blank and Mold Mechanism

Innovation in glass

industry

Top mounted

Parallel Molds motion

Retrofittable

IS mold compatible

360° Axial and Radial Cooling

Glass Viscosity vs. T

Glass Bottle Forming

IR Thermo-Measurement

Forming steps

Simulation Steps

Step 1

Blank Side

Parison Forming

Step 2

Invert Mechanism

Reheating

Step 3

Blow Side

Stretching

Step 4

Blow Side

Bottle Forming

Step 1) Blank Side – Parison Forming

Conjugate Heat Transfer

Simulation:

• Input: T Glass Gob

• Conduction and Radiation

• Physical Material

Properties

• Unsteady: Time =

Machine Timing

Equipment Thermal Images Volume Temperature Distribution

Steady State Simulation

Plunger

Neck-Ring

Blank

Mold

Parison

Step 1) Blank Side – Parison Forming

Step 2) Invert Mechanism – Reheating

Conjugate Heat Transfer

Simulation:

• T Glass from Step 1

• Air Convection: T Air

• Conduction and Radiation

• Unsteady: Time = Machine

Timing

From Blank Side... ... to Blow Side

Rotation 180°

Step 2) Invert Mechanism – Reheating

Rotation 180°

Hard Parison

Soft Parison

Ready to stretch… Parison surface Temperature

From Blank Side... ... to Blow Side

Step 3) Blow Side – Stretching

VOF Simulation 3D

• 2 Phases: Glass and Air

• Conduction and Air Convection

• Gravity

• Unsteady: Time = Machine

Timing

Input:

3D Temperature Distribution from the

Reheating Step

Input:

Viscosity (T)

Step 3) Blow Side – Stretching

Physical Interpretation

Gravity, Conduction, Temperature, Viscosity…

Step 3) Blow Side – Stretching

Stretching extremely depends on:

• Parison Design

• Process Variables (e.g. Molten Glass T, Molds Contact time)

Higher Molten Glass T Simulation 5°C higher T

000 000 000

000 0

00

000

0

Step 4) Blow Side – Bottle Forming

VOF Simulation

• Blow Pressure

• Vacuum Pressure

• Unsteady: Time =

Machine Timing

Vacuum

Holes

Blow Head

Step 4) Blow Side – Bottle Forming

Final Bottle Results

Thickness Profile

• Compromise between structural properties and bottle weight

• Stretching is the Key-Step

Simulation Measure

• Simulation is based on physical parameters in both thermal and dynamic properties

Conclusions

• The VOF model handles glass viscosity from liquid (100 P) to solid (109 P) with high time-steps

• The simulation variables are the machine settings (e.g. cycle timing, molten glass T)

• Application cases:

- Parison Design to reduce the trials on molds and on machines

- Effects of non-idealities on process variables

Next goal is the optimization of the entire forming process to reach faster production and lighter bottles

CONCLUSIONS

Questions?